bar scale of 1/4 inch to 10 feet

as above, labelled: Bridge Street, New Palace / Yard, Westminster Hall, Part of Henry / 7th Chapel, Old Palace Yard, Abingdon Street, The River Thames

Pen, black, sepia and blue washes, pricked for transfer within double ruled and black wash border on wove paper (513 x 830)

Soane Office

This undated drawing appears to be a copy of SM 37/1/21, both of which are to the same scale, show the same area of Westminster (from the piers of Westminster Bridge to Abingdon Street), combine a plan of the Palace with a block plan of the surrounding buildings, and employ a similar range and use of washes. In addition, this drawing has been pricked for transfer, providing further evidence that it is a copy, if not that a copy has been made from it.

Although an inscription claims that the drawing shows the buildings of the Palace of Westminster "as they existed in the Year 1800", (or more probably the year 1793 if it is a copy), it was probably not made until some time later - perhaps even as late as the 1820s, judging from its condition and quality in execution. The inscriptions, and therefore presumably the drawing itself, are in the hand of George Bailey (1792-1860). Bailey joined the Soane Office as a pupil in 1806* but this drawing shows evidence of a mature hand, implying that it was made later on in his career.

*After completing his articles he then became Soane's assistant and remained at Lincoln's Inn Fields after Soane's death, serving as the first Curator of his Museum from 1837 until 1860.

Tom Drysdale, October 2014

Drawing

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk